PRESS RELEASE BY THE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT Address to the Parliamentary Assembly by H.E. Dr Myriam Spiteri Debono, President of the Republic

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President of the Parliamentary Assembly,
Secretary General of the Council of Europe,
Distinguished Members of the Parliamentary Assembly,
Excellencies,
Esteemed visitors,

I stand before you, in my capacity as the Head of State of Malta, but I also speak to you as a woman and a European citizen.

My views and perspectives have been shaped over the decades I have lived through, events I have witnessed and analysed, the ebbs and flows of transformation, disruption, and progress, at times regress, both in my own country and across our continent.

This occasion holds particular meaning to me, as it coincides with my country's 60^th anniversary as a committed member of this Organisation. For Malta, the Council of Europe is a forum where our core values are nurtured, upheld, and translated into tangible progress.

Our membership of the council has deepened our engagement, shaping not only our national reforms, but also our wider international outlook.

To speak here today is, therefore, a moment of solemn reflection. A reflection on where we stand as democracies, as societies, and as custodians of the promise made by Europe seventy-five years ago when the European Convention on Human Rights was adopted to safeguard freedom, justice, and democracy on our continent.

This is also a moment for renewed resolve. History teaches us that rights achieved are not rights automatically guaranteed. We have got to be ever vigilant that democratic values are never eroded.

Throughout my life, I have witnessed progress. Legal systems have grown more inclusive; institutions more effective. Voices that were long silenced are finally being heard, acknowledged, and empowered to claim their rightful place in our societies.

Our continent has been at the forefront of these transformations, setting standards in human rights, dignity, and equality. Yet, we must also confront a troubling paradox. While our legal frameworks have never been more comprehensive, the values that underpin them - equality, solidarity, justice - have never felt more fragile.

Across Europe, discrimination is re-emerging, both in blatant forms and in more subtle, ways. Digital technologies, once seen as tools for liberation and democratic participation, are now too often used to deepen division, spread misinformation and disinformation, and silence dissent. Hate speech is thriving, online and offline, targeting women, immigrants, minorities, LGBTIQ+ persons, and other vulnerable groups. It is regrettable and it starts to be very when such actions are met with silence and are allowed to subsist unexposed and unopposed.

Gender-based violence is not only persisting, but it is also evolving. In both private and public spheres, women and gender-diverse persons are facing a resurgence of harm that is increasingly visible, yet disturbingly it is achieving normalisation.

Misogynistic narratives, once pushed to the margins, are now echoed in mainstream discourse. Online spaces, once hailed as tools for empowerment, have become arenas of harassment and targeted abuse. Too often, women who dare to lead or speak out, pay the price, with their safety, their dignity, or their lives. This is a stark reminder that progress is not permanent. Hard-won gains must be defended, renewed, and advanced with every generation, constantly strengthened to withstand evolving currents.

Distinguished members,

It is true that the journey toward women's empowerment and leadership has made significant strides. Many long-standing barriers have been challenged, and societal attitudes have changed, often more rapidly than the institutions designed to reflect and support them.

Yet, despite these achievements, there is still a long way to go before we can declare that true equality has been accomplished. In Europe and across the globe, women continue to be underrepresented in the highest levels of political and institutional leadership.

Malta has played a meaningful role in this journey. Less than a decade after becoming a Republic, a woman was appointed as the Head of State of our country. In doing so, we took a step towards shattering the perception that the highest echelons of power were only for men.

However, while such breakthroughs may send a powerful message and serve as a statement of intent, they must be part of a broader effort and not an isolated measure. When progress slows, we must be the ones to push it forward. Change does not happen by chance: it happens when people demand it with conviction and courage, and push it forward with perseverance and persuasion.

In that spirit, Malta has, in recent years, introduced gender quotas in its national Parliament. This was a tangible and necessary step towards visibly redressing imbalances in political structures.

It was a decision made in recognition of the fact that representation should never be just symbolic. It must be meaningful. A critical mass, adequate presence and participation by the female gender, is essential to the legitimacy, the diversity, and the effectiveness of democratic institutions.

I believe we have come to a juncture where we have to stop and analyse whether the present surge of violence targeted at women from all angles, not least on the domestic front, is itself a backlash, the result of the progress we have achieved so far. If this is so, it means that we have not done enough to change the innate attitudes of masculine superiority, in parallel with legal and social developments, to achieve equality.

It would indeed be tragic if the progress achieved so far is lost through misguided extolling of traditional family structures, harkening back to patriarchal stereotypes.

Democracy must be lived and sustained through justice, equality, civic engagement, education, and upbringing.

It must be shielded from manipulation and from the perversion of truth, by those who seek to weaponise falsehoods for power.

In a world increasingly shaped by the digital sphere, trust and truth have to be resilient.

Misinformation and disinformation erode public trust, fuel division, and undermine the very foundations of free and open societies. They target not only institutions, but the human dignity and civic involvement that democratic systems are built upon. The freedoms democracy is supposed to guarantee are themselves vitiated. Freedom of speech, of expression, and of the press end up perverting freedom of thought and of choice.

This is why Malta stands in full alignment with Secretary General Alain Berset's initiative for a New Democratic Pact for Europe, which seeks to redefine and strengthen democracy. We see this initiative as a moral imperative, renewing our social contract, fostering the kind of public discourse that democracy deserves and demands.

As a country, we believe that democracy must be experienced in every community, embraced by every generation, and reflected in every citizen's life.

Democracy's principles of inclusion, acceptance of others, participation and sharing - the trickling of common good down to each and every individual citizen - must be molded into the psyche of the younger generations if these values are to be felt on the ground and work their way upwards through the hierarchies of power, manifesting themselves in the future leaders who wield the power.

This belief is reflected in Malta's own national policies. We were among the first European countries to introduce the right to vote at sixteen: a clear affirmation of principle that political maturity is shaped through active engagement, that civic responsibility is nurtured through participation, and that age alone should never define a citizen's ability to contribute meaningfully to public life.

Democracy's strength of a democracy is measured not by how well it serves the powerful, but by how meaningfully it includes the young, the marginalised, and the unheard. It is therefore our responsibility to ensure that democracy does not become an abstract ideal, but a daily practice, fuelled by participation, by trust, and grounded in truth.

Of vital importance is how we teach and understand our own histories.

A healthy democracy must be courageous enough to confront its past, learn from its failures as much as celebrate in its triumphs.

By doing so, we equip ourselves and especially our youth to face challenges with the wisdom and resilience needed to come up with solutions to new and complex problems.

Democracy imposes a collective duty to protect the most vulnerable sections of the population, particularly children.

Children cannot navigate the digiltalised world's unprecedented threats alone.

While offering great opportunities, the digital environment also exposes children to cyber bullying, exploitation, manipulation, and abuse.

As we consider the world that young people are inheriting from us, we cannot ignore one of the most urgent, global, and defining challenges of our time: climate change.

Climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution test our environmental stewardship and impose upon us grave responsibilities demanding immediate action.

Distinguished members,

We must not lose sight of the current international geopolitical situation. At the Reykjavik Summit two and a half years ago, we declared our support for Ukraine and made a solemn commitment. Today, that commitment remains constant.

Ukraine's pursuit of justice, accountability, and sovereignty in the face of an unrelenting war of aggression continues to stand at the top of the Council of Europe's agenda, as well he priorities of Malta's Presidency.

Through concrete achievements, including the Register of Damages, the Action Plan for Ukraine's resilience, recovery, and reconstruction, and the Consultation Group on the Children of Ukraine, we have placed the rights and dignity of the Ukrainian people at the core of our collective action.

Work on the future Claims Commission is a vital step towards redress accountability and reparation.

We were honoured to spearhead the historic milestone achieved last June, whereby the Committee of Ministers paved the way for the signing of the Bilateral Agreement on the Establishment of the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Secretary General Alain Berset.

The Tribunal will ensure that those who have violated the UN Charter are held responsible through legitimate legal mechanisms.

In keeping with these principles in its actions both within Europe and beyond, Malta last week, during the United Nations General Assembly, formally recognised the State of Palestine.

The humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip is catastrophic. On the 7^th of October 2023, Hamas carried out brutal attacks, which reignited the embers of war in the Middle East. Hostages must be released immediately.

However, the scale of retaliation by Israel has far exceeded the established principles of necessity, distinction and proportionality.

Humanitarian aid must reach its destinations - those in dire need of it.

The Gaza population faces hunger, dehydration, trauma, and lacks medical care. Starvation is no longer a looming threat; it is a daily reality for countless families struggling to survive amidst ongoing hostilities, and always the most vulnerable are children.

In this context, Malta's recognition of the State of Palestine was not simply a political act. It was a principled reaffirmation of our unwavering commitment to human rights, justice, and the belief that all peoples deserve to live in dignity, peace, and security, free from fear and deprivation.

It is our hope that the formal recognition of Palestinian statehood in recent days can contribute in some way to a lasting peace.

Distinguished members,

Guided by its enduring commitment to equality and human dignity, Malta's Presidency has placed the fight against all forms of violence, discrimination, and hatred at the core of its agenda. The conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza, and also those elsewhere around the globe, have laid bare the deep injustices, entrenched inequalities, and the grave consequences of failing to uphold our shared humanity.

At a time when hate speech, polarisation, and intolerance are gaining ground across our societies and seeping into public discourse, we must confront this corrosive tide with unwavering resolve.

Defending democracy against hate speech and the distortion of truth is to defend the dignity of us all. If we are to remain true to the values that define the Council of Europe - human rights, democracy, and the rule of law - then we must stand firmly and collectively for these rights for the protection of our shared humanity, and for the preservation of social cohesion, and the democratic fabric of our communities.

As we mark the 75^th anniversary of the European Convention on Human Rights, we are reminded of the extraordinary vision that rose from the ruins of war: a Council of Europe rooted in justice, guided by human dignity, and united in its commitment to the enduring power of the values enshrined in the convention.​

The relevance of any organisation, including the Council of Europe, depends on its ability to reflect, to respond, and to renew itself, especially in times of profound challenges.

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